Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Task Force (UPSTF) seized duplicate National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) books worth ₹10 lakh from Amroha’s Gajraula area in Uttar Pradesh. The police have arrested four in the case and local BJP leader Sanjeev Gupta and his nephew Sachin have been booked alleging them of being the main pivots. Search for both is on.

This comes a day after the team recovered pirated NCERT books worth ₹35 crores from a godown located on Gagol road in Partapur area of Meerut. These are the two major raids conducted by the task force in the last 48 hours.

SP (STF) Kuldeep Narain told the media that the department found evidence of the printing press in Amroha after conducting the Meerut raid. The team says it is only the tip of the iceberg, as there is a possibility of the existence of a vast chain that operates in several cities.

‘Prima facie, it appears that the same accused were managing this press as well but it remains part of the investigation. There is a possibility that more such fake operations were being carried out in the west UP and similar raids will be made as per the gathered evidence,’ The Indian Express quoted Narain as saying.

According to the Meerut police, only four printing presses in UP have been authorised by the NCERT to publish books. Apparently, the business of publishing pirated books has been continuing for the past five years.

As of now, Sanjeev Gupta has been removed from his post of vice-president of BJP’s Meerut unit and has also been suspended from the party. BJP Meerut unit chief Sanjeev Singhal said the party believes in zero tolerance when it comes to corruption and crime.

In his defence, Gupta says that he has become ‘a victim of BJP’s inner politics’. ‘I will come out with valid documents authorised by the NCERT to publish these books. I have fallen victim to the party’s inner politics,’ Gupta as quoted.

The police also recovered a handwritten register from the pile of ₹10 lakh pirated books, that claimed the books were to be delivered to almost every major cities and states of India, from Delhi to Chennai. The register contained over 900 entries of names of the vendors and shops that would stock them up.

Apart from this, the team also recovered bill books and computers that had stock records and balance sheets, the media reported.

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